Telegram is the “new hot thing among jihadists,” says cyber security expert

When ISIS terrorists want to hide what they’re saying, they are increasingly turning to an app called Telegram. It’s “the new hot thing among jihadists,” said Laith Alkhouri, director of Research at Flashpoint Global Partners.

Telegram, an international instant messenger founded by Pavel Durov in 2013, boasts two layers of encryption and claims to be “faster and more secure” than its competitor WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook. Users can securely message friends and send pictures and files. They can also create group chats with up to 200 members or opt for “special secret chats” where messages, photos, and videos will self-destruct.

ISIS is also using Telegram to broadcast big messages on the app’s “channels,” which are devoted to a variety of topics. It was on the official ISIS channel that the group said the Paris attacks would be the “first of the storm.”